E-mail, Feeds, 'n' Stuff

Monday, April 24, 2006

E-o-leven

A reader from out in the Lents neighborhood sends along a press release advertising the Portland City Council candidates' forum that's set for tomorrow evening at the Kelly School auditorium. The release notes that the event, with introductions at 7:15, will include 11 candidates for the two open council seats:

Eleven candidates have confirmed their participation in the Q&A forum, and include (in no particular order) Emilie Boyles, Ginny Burdick, Cisco Holdman, Dave Lister, and Erik Sten for Position #2, and Michael Casper, Amanda Fritz, Chris Iverson, Sharon Nasset, Dan Saltzman, and Lucinda Tate for Position #3. Each candidate will get the chance to share their own unique perspective and recommendation on such hot-button issues as education funding, local economies, and housing strategies. In addition, candidates will be dedicated equal time at the podium to recap why they are running and why you should vote for them.

I think a couple of those candidates may be less than serious -- at least, the voter's pamphlet shows only nine, with Casper and Holdman not shown. But you get the picture: all the candidates, and maybe then some, are said to be "confirmed."

The release also states, "Voter registration cards will be available at the door." But since tomorrow night's the deadline (don't quote me, but I believe your registration must be postmarked by tomorrow midnight), it would probably be too late unless someone then drove down to the main P.O. in time to get it postmarked. And I haven't checked when their last box pickup is. In any event, if you need to, you had better get that baby in the mail today.

Being a patent geek I should know this: The Airport branch of the Post Office stays open until midnight. So you could drive out and drop it off there. Too bad the Airport Max doesn't stop anywhere near the post office that I know of.

Being a tax geek, and having seen it first-hand, I definitely know this: obey the speed limit on that stretch from 205 to the airport post office. The Port of Portland Police have been known to set up a conveniently located speed trap to take advantage of people rushing to get to the post office between, say, 10 pm and midnight.

Thanks anyway, Ben seems to think that we need a sales tax - sorry Ben, it's the one tax that we haven't given the state government because we know it never gets smaller and just keeps adding more things to those that get taxed. In the end Ben and all politicians want to see a property tax, an income tax AND a sales tax (plus assorted "fees"). Ben is dumb enough to tell us that he will push for it, I'm smart enough to never want to vote for him.

Keep in mind that while the airport post office is open, my understanding is that they don't process anything but express mail there. Everything else goes into a big bin to be taken elsewhere and postmarked at a later time. (I'm pretty sure they told me dropping it off there at 11:30pm would not get it postmarked for that day.)

First, you cannot register as "independent." You can register as "unaffiliated."

Second, you need not register as "unaffiliated" in order to sign a petition for Ben Westlund or any other independent candidate. You can register as Pacific Green or Liberterian or Freedom Socialist, etc., and still validly sign such a petition, as long as you do not attend the party's nominating convention(s) and actually participate in the nomination for the office at issue. Registering with a minor party gets you a primary ballot with all of the nonpartisan races, ballot measures, etc.

You can drop your voter registration form off at the county elections office. Just stick it in the mail slot on the door. I have done this in the past when doing registration drives. Whether they will accept it as beating the deadline is another matter. Someone might wish to call them and ask. The office is at twelve and Morrison I believe. I'll let someone else confirm the address for us.
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Road Work

Miles run year to date: 155
At this date last year: 241
Total run in 2015: 271
In 2014: 401
In 2013: 257
In 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269